June 5th is a holiday in the Netherlands. National holidays of the Netherlands. Holidays of Free Holland
Going to Holland, which is proud of its liberality, is already a real holiday: after all, at any time of the year you can catch a bright, colorful carnival, festival or procession. Even if you go for a short while to admire the scenery, including the gorgeous flower fields, rest assured that you simply won’t get bored in this country.
Winter in the Netherlands
Already from the end of November, residents of the country begin to prepare for the New Year holidays. Green fluffy spruce trees and multi-colored illumination appear on the streets, and “oliebollen” – butter balls with all kinds of fillings – go on sale.
The first December holidays beloved by the Dutch are Santa Claus's Birthday and St. Thomas's Day, on the 6th and 21st, respectively. Many pleasant ancient traditions, beliefs and legends are associated with these happy annual events for adults and children. One of the nicest customs is to prepare a holiday in honor of Grandfather Santa. Surrounded by his pages - black Petes, the world-famous grandfather gives gifts and sweets to obedient children, and also rides through the streets on a snow-white horse.
The country is preparing for Christmas and New Year, having fun at parades and buying gifts at fairs.
December 25 – Catholic Christmas
If the streets of the Netherlands are decorated with fir trees from the first days of December, then a green tree is brought into the house and decorated specifically for Christmas. But, unfortunately, after just three or four days the coniferous beauties end up piled up in a huge pile and burned to the ground.
When it comes to gifts, Dutch residents prefer to make beautiful cards with their own hands, putting their whole heart into the craft.
If you see a man blowing a horn, do not be alarmed, because he is only driving away evil spirits from his home. Other Christmas traditions include:
- fasting on Christmas Eve (December 24) and attending festive mass;
- a magnificent festive feast with the obligatory presence of rabbit, venison and game dishes;
- the ritual of breaking bread by an older family member and praying;
- warm welcome of guests as close relatives.
December 26 – Second Day of Christmas or St. Stephen's Day
The day after Christmas in Holland it is customary to go on a visit to relatives and friends, attend concerts, theaters, performances and restaurants.
Catholics celebrate St. Stephen's Day by traditionally riding horses through the streets and holding horse races. In churches on this day it is customary to bless oats and hay.
If you have planned an official visit to any organization, enterprise, bank or just shopping, it is better to postpone it to another date, since December 26 is an official day off in the Netherlands, which means that only some stores will remain open.
December 31 and January 1 in Holland
Like all over the world, New Year is celebrated in Holland on January 1st. And on the eve, on the 31st, Catholics traditionally celebrate St. Sylvester's Day. The holiday is surrounded by its own funny traditions, and the streets are full of costumed events, incredibly beautiful processions and festivals.
January 1 is the only day of the year when fireworks can be seen in the sky. The New Year is celebrated magnificently and noisily. In Amsterdam, a skating rink is poured into the square and ice towns are carved out. Among this splendor, residents have fun, explode firecrackers and drink hot mulled wine.
In homes, it is customary to set the festive table with game and rabbit dishes, salted beans, and traditional drinks (slem). If you haven't been to Holland yet, New Year's is the best time to get to know the country and its wonderful Christmas customs.
February 14 in the Netherlands
Like Christmas events, preparations are made well in advance for Valentine's Day. With the arrival of February, stores replenish their assortment with pink and red symbols of tenderness and love. Directly on February 14, girls can traditionally propose to their chosen one. But if he does not want to get married, he can always pay off with a gift in the form of a silk dress.
February 22 – Carnival in Holland
The last of the winter solemn holidays is dedicated to the need to eat and drink to your heart's content before Lent. Therefore, a period of festivities and entertainment begins in the country, and noisy parades with giant figures and processions dressed in carnival costumes appear on the streets. Masquerade is a way to scare away evil spirits for the coming year. General rejoicing ends with the symbolic eating of herring and dishes made from it.
Spring holidays in Holland
Spring holidays begin with International Women's Day - March 8. At the same time, the event is dedicated to tenderness and beauty, wisdom and attention, spring and everything beautiful.
And the traditional spring religious holiday - Easter- celebrated annually from Friday to Monday, checking the church calendar. The symbols of Dutch Easter are a hare and colored eggs. Churches are decorated with white flowers, and every resident certainly goes to a festive mass. Official organizations and most shops are closed during Easter week.
April 25 – Flower Competition
Not getting to the most beautiful Dutch holiday of the year is a real omission. On this day in the Netherlands, thousands of florists, along with volunteer assistants, create multi-meter compositions from frames and delicate buds. The finished works are presented to the world accompanied by a musical soundtrack and orchestral accompaniment, additionally illuminating the installations with special colored spotlights. The multi-kilometer procession ends in the city of Haarlem, where for 24 hours anyone can admire the beauty and skill of Dutch flower artists.
May 1 in the Netherlands
The first day of May is traditionally a holiday of labor and spring. The already extraordinary nature of the country becomes truly beautiful in May.
May 5 – Dutch Liberation Day
On May 5, festivals and concerts are organized throughout the country in memory of the Great Victory over Nazi Germany. In Amsterdam, on the embankment of the Amstel River, an annual gala event is held, attended by the Queen and the Prime Minister.
The holiday takes on a special scope every five years after the end of the war. The closest date to go to Amsterdam for the Liberation Festival is May 5, 2015.
May 28 – annual Legalization Party
As you know, some drugs (hashish, marijuana, etc.) are legalized in Holland. And as part of the Legalization Party, which gathers in Amsterdam, participants will organize a procession of those dissatisfied with the global fight against drugs. Participants laugh and joke, bring snacks and drinks, roll and smoke huge joints. A real day of struggle with sobriety.
Summer holidays
The series of summer events opens Herring holiday – June 6. The best herring, which has a sufficient supply of fat and meat, is caught and sent to the queen. And after this, mass eating of fresh herring is organized in the ports accompanied by music and gunfire.
August 1 – Gay Parade
It is impossible to imagine Holland, where same-sex marriage is legalized, without a gay festival. The procession is unusual. Thematically dressed representatives of sexual minorities float along the canals on barges. The festivities for “pink”, “blue” and transvestites last for several days. After the procession, participants and spectators go to clubs, bars, or stay to watch costume performances.
Autumn in the Netherlands
September 5 unfolds in Amsterdam flower festival. The procession includes carts and cars decorated with floral compositions and figures. An incredibly beautiful sight.
Another procession, this time dedicated to the revered St. Martin's Day, can be seen in Venlo 11th of November. Participants dress up as saints and carry burning lanterns in their hands. Traditional holiday dishes are roast goose and sweet sulfur.
Third week of November – “Cannabis Bowl”, international festival
Before the New Year holidays, a major cannabis festival is held in the Netherlands. Over the course of several days, a cheerful jury selects the winner in several categories: the best hashish, the best hemp processing product, the best coffee shop, the largest bush, etc. The holiday is dedicated to the autumn cannabis harvest and is cheerful, somewhat intoxicated with a sweetish haze.
It may seem to you that Holland is a country exclusively with adult entertainment and holidays, where there is no place for little travelers. But this is not true at all. The Dutch love children very much and take care of them. Feel free to go to celebrations and mass celebrations, with the exception of particularly specific ones, succumbing to unbridled fun and general positivity.
Climate in Holland
When you go on a trip, you need to prepare for what kind of weather will await you in a foreign country. Is it constantly hot there or is it cool in the evenings, and do I need to take warm clothes? Does it rain often? And how does the weather in the country’s capital differ from the weather in other regions?
Climate features in Holland
The climate in Holland is the same in almost all areas of the country due to the absence of mountain peaks.
Transport in Holland
You can fly to Holland by plane, travel by train or bus. There are several types of public transport in the country: railway, metro, bus. You can also take a taxi, rent a car or rent a bicycle.
How to get to Holland?
The most popular form of transport by which you can travel to Holland is by plane. But if you are afraid of flying, you can take a bus or train.
Dutch cuisine
When traveling around Holland, it is impossible to stay away from tasting local dishes. The famous Dutch herring, hot sandwiches and waffles with chocolate... Have you already wanted to try it?After a long stay in Holland, it became clear to me: well, the Dutch know how to have fun and celebrate all kinds of holidays. That is why there are so many holidays, carnivals and festivals in this country. For every taste. Some holidays are associated with the religion of the people of the Netherlands, others with the free spirit of the Dutch. But, of course, the main holiday for all residents of Holland is Queen's Day! But first things first.
On the one hand, any holiday in Holland is always an event to the fullest from the point of view of people's attitude, with huge crowds on the streets, rivers of alcohol, songs. But on the other hand, the Dutch do not like to spend a lot of money on holidays, so people themselves become the main decoration of the city streets. During the holidays, you will not see serious decorations of the city, as, for example, in Moscow, and gifts here are mostly given purely symbolically.
New Year starts in November
It’s always nice to start a story with New Year’s magic, so I’ll start with the traditional New Year’s holidays in Holland. Surprisingly, the entire New Year's series of holidays begins here in November. Immediately after Halloween, store shelves are replaced by New Year's themes.
Few people know that in Holland the meeting of the local Santa Claus, gift-giving and New Year's madness take place not on New Year's Day or Christmas, but on the first and main holiday for children and adults in this country - St. Nicholas Day or Sinterklaas Day. It occurs on the night of December 5th, when Sinterklaas (short for Sinte Nikolaas, the predecessor of Santa Claus) gives gifts to children who have behaved well. And it is this day that all Dutch children are waiting for, not New Year or even Christmas.
Why does the New Year's bustle begin in November? And all because Sinterklaas arrives by ship in mid-November (this year Cinta’s arrival was on November 14) from his residence in Spain and stays in the country until December 5. He arrives with his assistants Black Petes, who do all the dirty work for him: they make lists of guilty children, write down the addresses of obedient children and collect gifts. In this tradition, I especially liked that the main fear of local children is not that they will not get a gift or will be scolded, but that Sinterklaas will take them to terrible Spain, where he lives until the next New Year.
Our first acquaintance with this tradition happened almost immediately after our arrival. While we were walking into the city on a regular day off, on the way we met parents with children, whose faces were tightly smeared with black paint, their lips were painted bright red, and each had a hat with a feather on his head. We wondered for a long time what was happening.
In the city we met the entire delegation, led by someone who both looked like Santa and our Father Christmas, but in episcopal church robes with people in fancy suits with full black makeup and red lips. They went around handing out cookies to children and adults, most often showering them with them - during November, the streets are full of cookies throughout the country. Only after we returned home, we looked on the Internet and learned about such a strange, but terribly interesting tradition. It turned out that it was the same Synteklaas with his assistants Black Bits.
Children are really looking forward to this holiday; they place a special shoe in the corridor where St. Nicholas should bring a gift on the night of December 5th. As gifts, the most common are small round oatmeal cookies, the first letter of the name made of chocolate, almond rolls and various marzipan sweets. Services and children's parties are held in all cities on December 5th. Going out into the city on this day, you don’t need to be surprised by anything. Each child will be wearing a Pete costume with face paint, a hat and a feather. Being Pete is a great pride for a child. They run through the streets and go through various quests with their parents.
Children love this holiday very much, which is why it still exists in a European country like Holland. After all, not everything is so rosy, and if it weren’t for the children, human rights activists for black people would have defended their ideas long ago. So every year on this day, in addition to widespread celebrations, rallies are held in support of the ban on this “racist” holiday.
There are many legends about the Black Heels. The most common ones are that Saint Nicholas saved a little black boy from slavery, and he stayed to help him. The second version is that Sinterklaas’s assistants enter the children’s house through the chimney and, naturally, become black from soot and smoke. The third version says that after all, the Black Petes ended up on Synteklaas’ team as slaves. This version is what opponents of the holiday adhere to.
Hundreds of people take to the streets of their cities demanding that Pete be turned white or colored. The Dutch, being very obedient people, are already beginning to listen to these conversations, and every year children with painted black faces can be seen less and less often. Now they are smeared with multi-colored paint. But the official delegation of St. Nicholas from Spain still arrives in the most traditional attire. After all, this is just a harmless holiday with a beautiful story about Sinterklaas’s assistants. An amazing and strange holiday!
Traditional Christmas
After St. Nicholas Day in Holland, everyone is waiting for Christmas. But not the Christmas we have an idea of from American films. Holland has a special attitude towards Christmas. There are no excessive decorations on the streets, only modest accents, reminding that Christmas is coming soon. Although now, city shops are very helpful in creating the Christmas atmosphere, where the most magical scenes and characters are sometimes placed in the windows.
In Holland you can rarely find Christmas markets; the most important ones in the Netherlands are held in Maastricht and Dordrecht. These are the best places to get into the holiday spirit. In large central cities, fairs are small and most often located in one place in the city, not like in Germany, where cities turn into a huge network of fairgrounds.
Holland is a country where different religions coexist, but Protestantism and Catholicism remain the main ones. Therefore, the celebration of Christmas remains special for each region of the country. But all regions have one thing in common. Christmas is a holiday at home; on December 25th you won’t meet anyone on the streets of cities. Cities are dying out. On the 25th, shops, museums and other institutions are closed.
But on December 26, St. Stephen's Day, the Dutch go on a visit and attend various events, restaurants and theaters. But the doors of the shops are still closed on this day.
If you decide to combine shopping and a trip to Christmas Holland, do not forget to take a couple of days before or after Christmas, when Christmas discounts reign in the stores.
What about the New Year itself?
Everyone knows that New Year in Russia and New Year in Europe are completely different things. No one there gives gifts on this holiday or prepares for it as the main event of the year. Holland is no exception. But on New Year’s Day, there are mass celebrations and bars and clubs. They say that the New Year is very fun in Holland, but for some reason we ourselves are always far from Holland on New Year. Who knows, maybe next year we will fix it? By the way, in Holland this holiday is called Old New Year.
The main event of the New Year is the launch of fireworks. Ordinary people can set off fireworks in Holland only once a year (!), from 22:00 on December 31st to 2:00 am on January 1st. Therefore, the Dutch are really looking forward to this night. And at midnight, the cities are transformed: the sky is filled with bright colors, shots of firecrackers and fireworks are heard from everywhere, cars honk in honor of the holiday, complete madness is happening. After January 1, the ban on pyrotechnics for private individuals comes into effect again. This is such a law-abiding country.
Carnival before Lent? Why not!
After the New Year holidays have passed, the Dutch begin to prepare for Lent, which usually begins at the end of February. And it is preceded by numerous carnivals in Dutch cities. The tradition is in some ways similar to our Maslenitsa.
What struck me most was the grandiose preparations for the carnival! People of completely different ages prepare for the event in advance; for a whole year they work on creating giant platform cars, making life-size puppets, coming up with fancy outfits, learning special dances and choosing musical accompaniment. Before Lent, people try to have a blast, which is why they organize these crazy carnivals with large mobile structures.
Before the carnival, city mayors hand over the reigns to the princess and prince of the carnival, proclaiming the beginning of madness. After the parade, the best team is chosen, and the festivities continue! This evening, carefree life ends, and people plunge into fasting. I must say that this is a very interesting tradition for visitors, although young Dutch people often call these events stupid. Although, most likely, this is simply due to less interest in religion on the part of young people. Nevertheless, at the holiday in our city there were many young people and entire families, groups of grandmothers who had a lot of fun at the carnival.
While Lent lasts, the country begins to prepare for Easter; stores change their assortment to Easter eggs, bunnies and cupcakes. And on Easter day itself, churches are decorated with white flowers and Easter services are held. Afterwards, according to tradition, the Dutch organize a festive dinner with their family.
The series of religious holidays continues with the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost (Day of the Holy Spirit) in May. In Holland these days are official holidays.
Annual two-month flower festival in Keukenhof and beyond
One of the main events of spring in Holland is the opening of the Keukenhof flower park. In 2016, it will begin its work from March 24 to May 16.
This park attracts a huge number of not only tourists, but also the Dutch themselves. It is here that you can see fields of tulips as if from a picture, get acquainted with all varieties of tulips, daffodils, irises, orchids, many other flowers and, finally, choose your favorite! In this park you don’t know where to look. Spring greenery, fragrant flowers, a million paths and different types of plants are everywhere.
Every year, a central theme is chosen to cover the main exhibitions of the park. The year we visited the park, the theme was Van Gogh, in honor of the 125th anniversary of the famous artist's death. In Keukenhof, a self-portrait of the master and some of his other paintings were lined with flowers.
There are a lot of tourists there, so it’s worth going to the park on weekdays to at least slightly reduce the number of people in the park. The second tip is to go to the park in the middle of its opening period, because at the beginning not all the flowers may bloom yet, but at the end they will have faded. It’s definitely worth visiting this flower paradise once!
In addition to the Keukenhof exposition, at the end of April, Holland holds a very colorful festival - the Flower Parade (Bloemen Corso). It begins its procession in the city of Lisse, which is located near Keukenhof Park, and continues to the city of Haarlem. The parade itself is a procession of intricate designs and various installations on wheels, completely (!) decorated with flowers. Professional florists and designers are working on the mobile structures, but volunteers also take a big part, without whom this show would not take place.
Along with the column singing, dancing and music are people in fancy dress. You can join the parade in any of the cities through which the route is laid. Local orchestras and other groups greet the festive column there.
The main holiday of the country is Queen's Day (King's Day)
You should definitely visit Queen's or King's Day in Holland at least once in your life!
Originally it was Queen's Day (Koninginnedag), but for the first time since 1890, Holland is once again ruled by a king: Willem-Alexander ascended the throne in 2013, and the holiday is now called King's Day (Koningsdag). Although the Dutch themselves always emphasize in conversation that this day remains Queen’s Day.
The whole country is turning into a real madhouse. People pour out onto the streets of their cities, organize parades and processions, traffic jams from barges and ships on the city canals, a sea of booze, music can be heard from everywhere. And most importantly, the entire holiday takes place in orange colors: people, boats, signs, flags, streamers, garlands and even monuments - everything turns orange! Why orange? Orange is the color of the royal ruling dynasty of Orange-Nassau. It is with the royal family that the Dutch love for the color orange is connected.
On this day, Holland turns into a free trade zone: anyone can go out onto the street with their goods and sell it, so cities, in addition to a large carnival, turn into large markets and flea markets.
But the main event takes place in Amsterdam, and both the Dutch themselves and tourists come there. As soon as you leave the train station, you immediately join the orange river that carries you through Amsterdam. There are various music stages throughout the city, and songs can be heard from passing boats. The level of the event is very high, but the police behave very calmly and do not interfere with the celebration in any way, and even vice versa.
Sutra blocks car traffic on the city streets and turns into a huge pedestrian zone. The whole country is walking, from small to large. It’s difficult to put into words the emotions from what you saw; you need to see it all with your own eyes and be in that atmosphere. Usually the holiday took place on April 30, the birthday of Queen Juliana, but now the holiday is celebrated on the birthday of the new king - April 27. Don't get confused!
Herring Festival
The herring festival, which is so often written about in Russia, is not so popular in Holland. I asked the Dutch several times, and in response they just shook their heads. It turned out that such a holiday does exist and is organized in honor of the first herring catch of the season.
There is a race in The Hague, the winner of which can present a herring to the royal family. This event takes place every year in June (usually the first Saturday in June) on the North Sea coast. The holiday is also called Flag Day (Flaggetjesdag), because it is with them that the embankments of seaside towns are decorated.
On this day you can enjoy the herring of the new catch. Everyone knows that Dutch herring is special, and they eat it right on the street, holding it by the tail, in one sitting. They also sell buns with herring: like a hot dog, only with herring. Even those who don’t eat herring are delighted.
The holiday is usually accompanied by musical orchestras, vendors sell herring at speed, and ancient ships welcome everyone in the harbors. Herring, of course, is present in Holland not only on this holiday, but all year round.
Summer in Holland = festivals
In the summer, Holland turns into a huge festival site. Throughout the country, different cities host food festivals, music festivals, dance festivals, theater festivals and many others. You can simply travel around Holland from concert to concert. In June, the Holland Festival usually starts, which takes place in 4 major cities - Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. In July, according to tradition, a jazz festival is held in The Hague.
Once every five years, the largest parade of boats and sea vessels, Sail Amsterdam, is held in Amsterdam. In 2015, the Russian ships Mir, Nadezhda, Kruzenshtern and Sedov also took part in it. All ships and other vessels land on the banks of the Amstel River in Amsterdam, and for several days anyone can be on board any ship. In addition, the entire holiday is accompanied by a large entertainment program, of course, music venues and water activities.
Also in the summer, theater festivals are held in various cities. They look very interesting and do not resemble the classical ideas about such events. Several dozen mobile homes on wheels park in some park. These houses usually have few artists who invite them to their performances and performances over several days. Each team has its own prices for performances (most often 2-5 euros) and its own methods of attracting people to the concert.
These are not all the events that take place in the summer in Holland, but only a small part of them.
The four-day march is the largest in the world
In the oldest city of Holland, Nijmegen, an annual four-day march (Nijmeegse Vierdaagse) takes place, which is the largest in the world! During the World Walk, over 4 days, thousands of participants walk 30, 40 or 50 kilometers a day along specific routes. This event was originally associated with military marches, and the marches still have a complicated route for the military, where military personnel from different countries take part.
In 2013, Russian paratroopers took part in the Peace March and even brought medals home! Now anyone of absolutely any age and from any country in the world can apply to participate in the march. By the way, the 100th anniversary march starts in 2016. The Dutch themselves are very fond of sports and public events, so this event attracts thousands of people every year. There is a very high interest in the march not only among the march participants, but also among everyone who likes to have fun. Because the four-day march is accompanied by a four-day festival (Vierdaagsefeesten).
The city itself is being transformed beyond recognition. Suddenly, in a typical quiet town, the concentration of various music and festival venues per square meter begins to go off scale. Additional trains are launched into Nijmegen, and a camp for the participants is built near the city. On the fourth day, the march participants go to Nijmegen itself. Residents of the city prepare in advance for this event; in the evening they place old sofas and chairs along the route of the participants.
And the next day, finishers are actively welcomed. Townspeople buy gladioli and give them to their favorite participants. It was also amazing for me that the police only contribute to the festive atmosphere by regulating traffic, they dance, sing and greet the participants in every possible way.
Holidays of Free Holland
Holland would not be itself if the free morals of this country were not reflected in the Dutch holidays.
In Holland, every now and then you hear announcements that next week there will be a gay pride parade in Amsterdam, in Rotterdam, and so on. This event is not isolated, colorful and specific. They say it is similar to King's Day in terms of a river of people and many ships on the canals, but with its own specific bright colors. Sometimes only thanks to the flags you can understand that you are not at an ordinary carnival. Typically these holidays occur at the end of July - beginning of August.
Every year at the end of May, the Legalization Party takes place here, where participants rally against World Drug Day. And right before the New Year, at the end of November, a hemp festival is organized, which is timed to coincide with the autumn hemp harvest! And not just a festival, but a whole competitive event where winners are chosen in different categories: from the title of the best coffee shop to the best herbal product.
Halloween in Holland
Not everyone in this country celebrates Halloween. I used to be sure that in Europe the celebration of this day takes place to the fullest and everywhere you can see people in creepy costumes. But no, the cities are quiet, and young people mostly go to clubs where special parties are held. But you can still feel the atmosphere of the most terrible holiday if you go to, where on Halloween there is a zombie parade on Rokin Street! The action is terrifying and impressive!
Festivals of light
Now fashionable all over the world, light festivals are also held in Holland. Among the most popular are the Light Festival GLOW and the Amsterdam Light Festival.
Glow takes place every year in the second week of November. The city presents about fifty light installations of various scales and breadth of thought. Every year there is a new route around the city and new objects.
The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from early December to late January. There are two routes in it, one by water, the other by foot, but in principle both routes can be seen during a leisurely walk along the canals of the city. Various masters of light exhibit their works in the city, all installations have a common idea.
Of course, these events cannot compare with similar shows in Moscow, but they are worth visiting, especially in Amsterdam. The city is transformed in the light of lights, and the pre-Christmas atmosphere only helps to look at the city differently. I have never seen him so quiet and peaceful.
Museum days in Holland
In addition to all the above-mentioned holidays, you cannot ignore the days when all museums in Holland are open for free or sell tickets for only 1 euro. More than five hundred state and other museums and exhibitions open their doors to visitors. This is a great opportunity to get acquainted with Dutch culture and world masterpieces, but it is worth remembering that not only you know about this weekend, so you will have to stand in lines. Oh yes, these museum days (National Museumweekend) occur on the second weekend of April every year.
Also, several times a year in different cities of the Netherlands, City Heritage Days (Open Monumentendag) are held, when museums reopen their doors to visitors for free or for a nominal fee.
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Birthday of the Queen of Holland: vivid photos and videos, detailed description and reviews of the event Birthday of the Queen of Holland in 2020.
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The Queen's Birthday is a real national holiday celebrated in the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba. Every year on April 30 (or 29 if the 30th falls on a Sunday), the Dutch widely celebrate the birthday of their monarch; this holiday tradition dates back to 1885.
In fact, this date is the birthday of the past Queen of the Netherlands, Juliana. Her daughter, Queen Beatrix, has decided not to postpone the Queen's birthday celebrations in memory of her mother.
The Queen is very loved in Holland, so this day is not just a formality, but truly a national holiday.
In the Netherlands, on this day people wear orange clothes - the family color of the Orange dynasty - and decorate the streets with orange flags and flowers.
The main event of the holiday is a free bazaar: everyone can go out on this day and sell any of their things.
Queen's Birthday
In addition to the general flea market, many festivals take place throughout the country on this day. The queen visits one or two cities to appear before her subjects and share her holiday with them. An atmosphere of general inspiration and unity can be felt everywhere - the royal dynasty is very much loved in the Netherlands and the queen's birthday is not just a formality, but a real national holiday.
Practical information
| 1st of January | New Year * The Dutch call this holiday Old-New (Oude-Niewe). In large cities, and above all in Amsterdam, for two days (December 30-31), firecrackers continuously burst and fireworks roar to the sound of car sirens. Parties go on around the clock, clubs and... |
| The 14th of February | Valentine's Day (Valentine's Day) Like other European countries, the Dutch celebrate Valentine's Day with pleasure and on a grand scale. On this day, it is customary to send cards with declarations of love - “Valentines” and give gifts to your loved ones. Already a month before February 14th... |
| March 8 | International Women's Day Already in ancient Rome there was a women's day, which was celebrated by matrons. On this day, matrons - free-born married women - received gifts from their husbands and were surrounded by love and attention. Slaves also received gifts. Besides,... |
| 11 April | Museum Day in the Netherlands Every year, on one of the weekends in April (the second weekend of April), National Museumweekend is celebrated in the Netherlands. On this wonderful weekend you can visit almost all museums in the country for free. Amsterdam is one of the largest art and museum... |
| 12th of April | Catholic Easter * The Easter holiday in the Netherlands begins on Friday, when a short working day is declared throughout the country and all official institutions are closed, and continues until Monday. Churches are abundantly decorated with white flowers for Easter. For Easter... |
| 25th of April | Flower Competition (Bloemen Corso) This flower parade takes place in the Netherlands at the end of April. Boats decorated with sculptural compositions made of flowers follow a forty-kilometer route through Haarlem, Hillegom, Lisse and... |
| April 30 | Queen's Birthday (Konninginnedag) * April 30 is considered the main holiday in the Netherlands. Anyone who comes to the Netherlands is invariably struck by the popularity of their buttoned-up queen among the sensible Dutch. Despite the fact that Beatrix is one of the most closed to... |
| 1st of May | Labor Day (Labor Day) The May holidays in the Netherlands begin on Labor Day. Labor protection issues are given great importance in the Netherlands. The Labor Party (PvdA) in the Netherlands was founded in 1946, and is one of the largest and most influential parties in the country.... |
| 5 May | Dutch Liberation Day * The Netherlands celebrates National Day of Liberation from Nazi Occupation. On this day in 1945, in the building of the Mir Hotel in the Dutch city of Wacheningen, an act of surrender of a group of German troops in the Netherlands was signed.... |
| 9th May | National Miller's Day in the Netherlands On this day in the Netherlands, about 600 of the country's 1,000 windmills are opened to the public. This holiday coincides with National Cyclist's Day, so all cycling routes include visits to wind turbines... Cyclist Day in the Netherlands On Cyclist's Day (Landelijke Fietsdag), the entire population of the Netherlands gets on their bikes and hits the road. Bicycles are common almost everywhere in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They are unusually numerous, which, in addition to... |
| May 21st | Catholic Ascension of the Lord * The Ascension, which completes the salvation of Christ after death and rebirth, is a moving holiday in memory of the ascension of Christ into heaven, which, according to legend, took place on the Mount of Olives near Bethany. Its date moves within May - early June and... |
| May 28 | Legalization party At the end of May - beginning of June, the Legalize Street Party takes place in Amsterdam. The Legalization Party is a street march to protest against the global fight against drugs. Reminds me of the Love parade in... |
| May 31 | Catholic Pentecost (Day of the Holy Spirit) * Pentecost - i.e. The fiftieth day after Easter was one of the three great Old Testament holidays. This holiday celebrated the adoption of the Sinai legislation under the prophet Moses, when one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ... |
| June 6 | Herring Festival (Flag Day) Traditionally, the herring festival is held on the first Saturday in June, immediately after the first herring of the new catch is delivered to the port. This catch is special because by the end of May the herring reaches the ideal size and fattens 14 percent... |
| August 1 | Amsterdam Gay Festival The gay festival Amsterdam Pride takes place in Amsterdam on the first or second weekend of August for one or two days. Blue, pink and transvi groups of musicians and performance artists from all over the world come to the city.... |
| September 5 | Flower Festival Floriculture has long been practiced in the Netherlands, and the tulip is one of the symbols of Holland. On the day of the holiday, all houses, fences, cars are decorated with bouquets and garlands of fresh flowers. Processions with figures made of flowers move through the streets... |
| September 15th | Opening of the Parliamentary Year in the Netherlands Another national Dutch holiday is the annual opening of the Parliamentary Year (Prinsjesdag) in The Hague. The holiday begins with the ceremonial departure of Queen Beatrix in a golden carriage, accompanied by an honorary escort. Queen,... |
| 11th of November | St. Martin's Day The whole winter for the residents of the Netherlands is a continuous Midwinterfest, which literally translates as “winter festival”. In fact, this name refers most to the beginning of winter. It is brought with them by three beloved and revered saints in the country -... |
| 15th of November | International Cannabis Festival "Cannabis Bowl" The international cannabis festival "Cannabis Cup Awards" is held in the third week of November in Amsterdam. The initiator of the holiday was the American magazine “High Times”, which now annually organizes the autumn harvest festival... |
| December 6 | St. Nicholas Day (Santa Claus's Birthday) Dutch children love St. Nicholas Day (Sinterklaasavond) the most. On the evening of December 5th, people anonymously give each other beautifully wrapped gifts, which are accompanied by poems about the recipient, supposedly written by Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas -... |
| 21 December | St. Thomas Day in the Netherlands "St. Thomas's Day" is celebrated on December 21 - the shortest and darkest day of the year. This day is the last day of school before the Christmas holidays. In this regard, a tradition has been established for this holiday: all students... |
| December 25 | Catholic Christmas * The Netherlands is truly a magical country. This is especially noticeable at Christmas. In the Netherlands they believe that on holy night, animals here begin to speak like humans, and water becomes wine. And not an ordinary wine, but a good French one. More... |
| December 26 | St. Stephen's Day * On the second day of Christmas, December 26, Protestants attend various concerts, while Catholics celebrate the day of remembrance of St. Stephen, who is considered the patron saint of livestock, especially horses. Hay and oats are blessed in churches. In the village, boys wear... |
| 31th of December | Saint Sylvester's Day On New Year's Eve, the Dutch celebrate St. Sylvester's Day. On December 31, everyone rushes to get up early: the one who gets up last receives the nickname “Sylvester” and must pay a fine. In the old days, girls tried to be especially... |
February. Amsterdam Carnival.
Attracts a large number of people dressed in excellent fancy dress. Many of them are ready to go to any extreme, but most limit themselves to participating in the parade and dancing.
March. Amsterdam art weeks.
Events are held throughout the city: exhibitions, concerts, performances, dances, etc.
Demonstration against racism.
An annual procession that attracts thousands of people (up to 100 thousand people). Held on March 21 - International Day against Racism.
April. Queen's Birthday.
Celebrated annually on April 30, regardless of the date of birth of the reigning queen, but, as a rule, the celebration is moved to the last Saturday of the month. This is a real folk holiday that literally everyone loves. From 9.00 traffic in the city center stops. All of Amsterdam participates in the carnival. All kinds of concerts, folk balls and, last but not least, flea markets, open to everyone and for all goods. Incredibly festive atmosphere, boundless fun, especially in Vondelpark. The holiday begins on the eve of the birthday and lasts the whole day.
May 5 is the anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands from fascist occupation.
Main events: concerts, parades, etc. around Dam Square and Roquin Avenue.
June. Dutch festival.
Many theater troupes come to Amsterdam. Paid and free concerts and performances are held, including in city parks. The festival continues in July.
Reigård Festival.
Held annually on June 21 in the small town of Reigard in the vicinity of Amsterdam. A very nice festival, big concerts and folk balls, for which you should come to this town.
August. Annual parade.
Held around August 15th in Martin Luther King Park, located in the southern part of Amsterdam. A big parade in the spirit of ancient carnivals, performances. Free entry until 18.00, after which there is an entrance fee.
August. Eitmarkt.
The holiday, dedicated to the beginning of a new cultural season, is held on the last weekend of the month. Many cultural events: concerts, performances, ballet performances, etc. All events are held on the canal embankments, and sometimes right on the water.
September. Flower Festival.
Amsterdam and the whole of Holland are decorated with flowers of all colors and their beauty is celebrated.
Jordan Festival.
Jordan is one of the most popular and charming quarters of Amsterdam. The festival is held annually in mid-September and lasts 10 days. Countless cafes host various cultural events. There is no question of missing this festival.
November. International Hemp Festival.
Held in the third week of the month. Numerous and most often paid events on the topic of cannabis.